Voyageur Wilderness Programme Ltd.
Quetico’s Premier Eco-Adventure Outfitter • Canoe trip specialist
• Complete & partial outfitting for individuals, families & groups
• Educational & Eco-Field Trips • Bed & breakfast facilities
• Environment, Sustainability & Service is our Priority
Located on Voyageur Island on Nym Lake Environmental Education through Wilderness Experience
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www.vwp.com P.O. Box 850, Atikokan, ON P0T 1C0, Canada • Ph: 807-597-2450
Campfire [ COMMUNITY ]
JUST PRIDE, NO PREJUDICE It’s no secret that we all fall prey to being canoe snobs sometimes. In “Packing Away the Prejudice” (Wild Rice, Paddling Buyer’s Guide 2013,
www.canoerootsmag.com/0038), columnist Larry Rice encourages paddlers to keep an open mind about what they paddle and reminds us that the trip is more important than the boat. The column struck a chord with readers. “I have to give Larry Rice a pat on the back,” wrote Jim Kemp of Royal Oak, Michigan. “Most longtime paddlers started their journey with an inexpensive simple craft … and some, like my wife and I, are still paddling the same boat 20 years later. We should all respect each other regard- less of what we choose to paddle—wouldn’t it be great if we could pack away the prejudice even after we have packed away our boats?” Solutions for world peace aside, Jim admitted that he and his group are kayakers at heart. “There is one couple in a canoe that shows up no matter what the weather. There’s good-natured kidding about which craft is best, but if the canoeists miss the paddle, it’s not complete,” he said. “There’s nothing like messing about in little boats to bring people together.” On Canoeroots’ Facebook page, not everyone was so inclusive. Matt Thompson chimed in with
this formula: “Canoe = yes, Kayak = occasionally, Inflatable = WHAT!” Others were very specific about their boat of choice: “Wood, please,” posted Benjamin Barnhart. Enough said.
TOUGH CROWD
Canoeroots columnist and all-around goofy guy, Kevin Callan, has run afoul of a few unhappy campers in his time—just see Butt End (page 82) to read about one encounter. In “Stage Antics” (Butt End, Summer/Fall 2012,
www.canoerootsmag.com/0039), Callan wrote about some of his most embarrassing moments while on stage as part of his Happy Camper presentations for pad- dlers. Callan must be making disgruntled paddlers a staple in his audience because he’s been nagged by naturalists, heckled by historians and threatened with litigation from lawyers. In front of hundreds of people. His red-faced moments made the Canoeroots staff squirm. Not everyone was sympathetic though. An anonymous letter-writer with “well-aged black
pots” wrote in defense of the hecklers, naggers and litigators. The outdoor professional men- tioned in Callan’s column was “upset about being misrepresented,” wrote Anomyous. “She and Kevin were not acquaintances or friends as stated by Kevin and the honorable exploits were poorly portrayed—misrepresented for entertainment purposes.” Mark Twain would retort, “Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.” Anonymous, not to be confused with the elite hacktivist collective, went on to write, “I don’t
know about you or Kevin, but I suggest this column, while entertaining, might be dumbing us down. Regina-vagina … really, that’s grade two stuff.” Well, the column is called Butt End.
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Staffers didn’t expect the outpouring of opinion on Canoeroots’ Facebook page when the topic of sitting versus kneeling in a canoe was raised. For some, their paddling position is an easy and practical decision. “Sitting is more comfortable. Kneeling is always painful,” wrote the Casselman Family. Others posted that it depends on the water conditions: “Standup paddling is the fastest and the best core workout, but I prefer sitting when going any distance and kneeling for white- water,” wrote Rick Fox. While traditionalists seem to prefer kneeling, not everyone feels the same. “As a child I was taught to use the sitting position and this is what I was used to. Then, as an
adult, an instructor expected me to switch to kneel—confused indeed!” commented Fi Wilson. Fi, you’re not the only one wondering which way is the best—turn to “Please Be Seated” (page 37) to find out why sitting for your strokes will help you go further, faster.
EVENTS
Take your boat out of storage and shine your gunwales because there’s plenty going on this spring. Join Rapid Media at the premiere of the 2013 Reel Paddling Film Festival World Tour, February 12 in Toronto, or check out one of 100 other stops on this year’s tour (
www.reelpad-
dlingfilmfestival.com). Visit the Canoeroots gang at the Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show, February 22–24 (www.
outdooradventureshow.com); at Canoecopia in Madison, WI, from March 8–10, (
www.canoecop-
ia.com) and at Jersey Paddler’s Paddlesport, March 22–24 (
www.jerseypaddler.com). Whitewater open boaters can go wild on spring break in Lenior City, TN, at Ain’t Louie Fest, March 9-17 (www.
waldensridgewhitewater.com/ALF.htm). The East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival takes place April 19–21 in Charleston, SC (
www.seakayakcarolina.com), where Rapid Media publisher Scott Mac- Gregor will be emceeing the screening of the Reel Paddling Film Festival.
PRIMO TRAILER SALES
Ottawa, ON Canada • 800-558-5178
www.primotrailersales.com
8 FIND US:
editor@canoerootsmag.com •
www.canoerootsmag.com
www.facebook.com/canoeroots •
www.twitter.com/canoerootsmag •
www.canoerootstv.com SPRING 2013
Since 1960
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